Top News of Last Week with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:
Iran Equips 4 Airports with Wind Profiler Systems
The vice-president of the monitoring network and crisis management department of Iran meteorological organization for technical affairs announced that four airports of the country will be equipped with wind profilers to detect the wind speed and direction at various elevations.
“In the first phase, four international and high-traffic airports in the country, which, according to aviation users, have a high risk of changing direction and wind speed, will be equipped with wind profilers,” said Farah Mohammadi.
Noting that the wind profiler is an important equipment in the field of aviation meteorology that measures and transmits wind direction and speed information from the ground level up to a height of 700 meters, she said, “Sudden changes in the wind at different heights, specially during the landing and takeoff of planes, are reported to the pilot.”
“Accurate understanding of wind changes during airplane landing is highly effective in preventing possible air accidents,” Mohammadi added.
“Meteorological experts present the information received from the wind profiler device in the form of specialized reports to the flight control tower based on international standards, so that it will be available to the pilots and the safety of the landing in atmospheric hazards is improved,” she underlined.
Iranian Company Produces Wear-Resistant Shoe Soles with Hydrated Silica
A technological company in Iran has produced shoe soles containing nanoparticles, which are mainly resistant to wear and slipping.
Precipitated silica nanoparticles are used in the soles of these shoes which increases resistance to wear and tear.
This technology can be used in the production of shoes and rubber, and industries like construction, paint, resin, coating and textile. The primary and main ingredient of this product is known as hydrated silica in the market.
The Iranian company has succeeded in receiving a nanoscale certificate and a knowledge-based certificate for its products.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firms to Manufacture Transmitters for Oil Industry
A project for designing and manufacturing transmitters (equipment for measuring pressure, temperature and level), required by the oil industry, is due to be implemented by the Iranian knowledge-based companies.
The project was launched after signing a contract for production of 575 transmitters with the Iranian knowledge-based companies.
The National Iranian South Oil Company and Iranian Central Oil Fields Company (ICOFC) are the main applicants for these transmitters, and the design and construction time for the project has been considered as 24 months.
Based on the contract, the manufacturer is required to obtain the required certificates and other safety and quality requirements.
Transmitter is a strategic equipment in the oil industry for measuring pressure, temperature and level, and the continuity of operation and production in different parts of the oil industry depends on the ability of the measuring equipment.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces Disposable Electrodes for Electrocardiography Devices
Iranian experts at a technological unit stationed at Pardis Science and Technology Park succeeded in production of disposable electrodes for electrocardiography devices which are vital in intensive care units and for checking the patient's vital signs.
“We are the manufacturer of disposable electrocardiography electrodes in our company,” Amir Hossein Ariannia, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“At present, in addition to importing the product, eight Iranian companies are also producing the electrodes, and our product enjoys the high quality of foreign samples,” he added.
“Disposable electrodes are used as an interface between the human body and the electrocardiography device, and they are applied in exercise tests and play a special role in intensive care units and checking the patient's vital signs,” Ariannia explained.
“Our knowledge-based company has been able to indigenize the production line of disposable electrocardiography electrodes at the incubator center of Pardis Science and Technology Park,” he added.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Indigenizes Metal 3D Printer
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company succeeded in indigenizing a metal 3D printer which can be used by other domestic firms for molding.
“We produced a metal 3D printer. This device is custom-made, and its price ranges from 350,000 Euros to 3 million Euros if produced by foreign companies, but this technology has been indigenized in our country and is available at a much less price than the foreign model,” Barzin Qaffari, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“At the beginning of the work, we faced the challenge of building a robot and manufactured it with many trials and errors, and then we prepared the software systems,” he added.
“There are 13 types of metal printing methods in the world, of which we have developed 2 methods of metal powder and metal wire,” Qaffari said.
Noting that at present Iran is known as one of the countries making this technological product in the world and has reached the mass production stage, he explained, “Metal 3D printers in the market work with metal powder while the metal powder fuses together and the part is made.”
Iran-Made Ultra-Thin Nano-Based Dressing Heals Skin Wounds
An Iranian knowledge-based company produced an ultra-thin nanocellulose dressing which treats the superficial wounds up to grade 2.
The knowledge-based company has also developed antibacterial dressings for the treatment of infectious wounds, special dressings for the Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) wounds, and suitable dressings for the care and treatment of surgical wounds.
Hospitals and burn, skin and beauty centers are among the target markets of these products. People dealing with burn problems, patients with chronic wounds and those with cosmetic surgery wounds can use these products.
Due to transparency, breathability and high absorbency, the most important competitive advantage of nanocellulose wound dressings is that they do not need to be changed.
Other competitive advantages of the Iran-made product include special mechanical properties, very high transparency, selective permeability for oxygen and non-infiltration of bacteria, and lower price.
Iranian Scientists Use CRISPER Technology to Make Kits for Diagnosis of Foot-and-Mouth Disease
An Iranian researcher at the University of Tehran succeeded in producing a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) diagnosis kit by using the CRISPR-Cas technology.
Vaccination and genetic diagnosis of viral diseases using RNA interference (RNAi) technology and CRISPR-Cas system, a case study of foot-and-mouth disease, is the title of the research project of Mohammad Reza Bakhtiarizadeh, a PhD graduate in genetics and animal breeding field and a faculty member of the University of Tehran.
“RNAi technology and the CRISPR-Cas system, which created a revolution in the field of genome editing, are two useful strategies to deal with the foot-and-mouth disease,” Bakhtiarizadeh said.
“Considering that in the near future this technology will be the basis of diagnostic kits, vaccination and genetic therapy in various fields such as medicine, veterinary medicine and agriculture, therefore, achieving this technology shows that Iran is a pioneer in the field of biotechnology,” he added.
“At present, production of diagnostic kit for this disease using CRISPR technology has been successfully achieved in the laboratory,” Bakhtiarizadeh said.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Indigenizes Different Types of CNC Machines
Iranian experts at a knowledge-based company managed to produce CNC machines with different applications in industry.
“In our company, we operate in the field of CNC machinery manufacturing industry in various fields. At present, we have managed to produce nearly 80 models of CNC machines in seven different industrial categories,” said Seyed Reza Mousavi, the managing-director of the knowledge-based company.
“Our production machines are used in wood industry, metal cutting industry, stone and glass industry. For instance, in the wood industry, we have produced a CNC lathe that can turn and engrave sofa legs or stair railings,” he added.
Elaborating on the performance of the CNC wood engraving machine of the company, Mousavi said, “These machines, using advanced and up-to-date features and capabilities, can design and produce all types of furniture, decoration, bed sets, doors, windows, cabinets, etc. in the shortest possible time.” “Another advantage of CNC engraving and cutting machines is the reduction of waste and mass production,” he added.
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company have produced a veterinary vaginoscope with a hydrophobic antibacterial coating and capability for more rapid and accurate artificial insemination.
The researchers could increase the speed of artificial insemination in large animals by using the ‘Smart V’ device, and due to the presence of nano coating in the device, the risk of disease transmission between humans and animals has been reduced to minimum.
‘Smart V’ is a device for vaginal examination and artificial insemination in large livestock. It has a sensor and a camera that captures the environment of the vagina and displays the images live and wirelessly on mobile phones and other devices. It increases the accuracy and speed of livestock examination.
The device also saves makes it possible to create veterinary medical records online. Among the other advantages of this device are completely elimination of the rectal test or anal examination, and the user’s ability to determine the state of estrus before insemination by testing the cervix and by inserting a special needle into the canal.
The nano coatings of this device reduce the risk of transmission of common diseases from livestock to humans and from livestock to livestock by creating hydrophobic and antibacterial properties.
Iran Exports Digital, Solar Spinning Machine to Neighboring States
An Iranian company stationed at Kermanshah Science and Technology Park has been able to produce and export digital and solar spinning machines to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kashmir, India, Kyrgyzstan and Iraq.
“In the process of producing yarn from wool, processing should be done on the wool first. The wools used to produce yarn are from goats, camels or sheep, which should be combed before using,” said Mehran Zeiqami, the managing director of the company.
“For this purpose, we produced the new spinning machine, which allows the user to convert sorted wool into spinnable wool. The price of the device is one-twentieth of the price of the foreign sample, and its weight and sound are less than similar samples in the market,” he added.
Noting that the spinning speed of this machine is 10 times higher than traditional methods, Zeiqami said that the device consumes between 60 and 70 watts.
“We have produced various samples of this device so far, and in addition to producing the digital version, we also succeeded in making a solar sample of this device,” he added.
“Our spinning machine also has many fans in Afghanistan, while the countries of Tajikistan, Indian Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan and Iraq are other customers of these machines,” Zeiqami said.
Iranian Scientists Produce Hybrid Seed in Glass Greenhouses
The head of the House of Innovation of Agricultural and Organic Products of Islamic Azad University’s Karaj branch announced production of hybrid seed in glass greenhouses.
Seyed Majid Toliat Abolhassani described achievement of sustainable and knowledge-based agriculture as one of the missions of the Innovation House, and told ANA, “One of our important plans is building a glass greenhouse on 5 hectares of land for the production of hybrid seeds.”
“Measures have been adopted to establish an acceleration center with cooperation of a partner, and plant medicine clinics for the detailed examination of disease and pest symptoms, and receive scientific and practical plans by specialists,” he added.
In agriculture and gardening, hybrid seed is produced by deliberately cross-pollinating parent plants which are genetically distinct. The parents are usually two inbred strains.
Iran-Made Nanomembranes Remove Oil, Petroleum from Wastewater
Iranian researchers presented a method based on electrospun nanomembranes to remove oil and petroleum pollutants from wastewater which can help reduce environmental pollution.
“Among the various water purification methods, membrane filtration technology has gradually attracted more attention due to its many features, including low energy consumption, ease of operation, low space requirement, high removal efficiency, and lower operating costs,” said Mohammad Reza Shakiba, a PhD graduate of Amirkabir University of Technology.
“Membrane filtration separates pollutants from water based on membrane pore size and particle size. The pollutant is removed from one side of the membrane and the purified solution from the other side. In the filtration mechanism, membranes act as a barrier between two phases in the filtration process, allowing chemicals to selectively move from one side to the other,” he added.
“During filtration, the water pressure and pollutant removal rate are greatly affected by the wettability of the membrane surface, which includes hydrophobic, hydrophilic and smart surfaces with variable wettability, and electrospun membranes with selective superhydrophilic or hydrophobic properties can be produced by changing the geometrical and chemical structure of the membrane surface,” Shakiba said.
Iranian Scientists Produce 1st Specific Markers of Indigenous Mountain Celery
Iranian researchers of Tarbiat Modarres University succeeded in identifying the microsatellite markers to preserve and use the indigenous populations of mountain celery in the country.
Ecophysiological and development of microsatellite markers to study the relationships and genetic structure of populations of exclusive species of mountain celery is the title of a project that has been completed in the form of Fa’ezeh Mahdavikia's PhD thesis with the support of the National Science Foundation of Iran.
“Iran is the origin of many valuable medicinal plant species. Many researches are conducted in the field of identification and evaluation of medicinal plant species using phenotypic and biochemical traits, and these researches have been accelerated in recent years,” said Mahdavikia.
She noted that due to the valuable benefits of molecular techniques, including markers at the DNA level, their use in various researches, including ecology, genetics, and population genetics, has become very popular.
“DNA markers are widely used in the establishment and management of banks and collections, identification of cultivars and populations, correct identification of parents and offspring in crosses, identification and mapping of genes related to important traits, and study of the natural selection process,” Mahdavikia said.
Iranian Company Produces Liquid Sodium Sulfide Needed by Mining Industry
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company managed to make 15% liquid sodium sulfide which is used in copper and zinc mines, and paper and textile industries.
“Liquid sodium sulfide (Na2SxH2O) is used in various industries, including mining industries (for metal separation or flotation process), leather industries (skin fur), paper industries (making and production of paper pulp), chemical industries (production of sulfur dyes), and in textile industry (reduction of elements of sulfur dyes),” said Abbas Yazdan Panah, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“In our company, the goal was to produce sodium sulfide, because sodium sulfide was available in bulk (solid) in the country, but we did not have liquid sodium sulfide. This process has a byproduct called sodium sulfite. In fact, if we want to produce this substance in solid form, we will have both sodium sulfide and sodium sulfite,” he explained.
Noting that the product is used in copper and zinc mines, Yazdan Panah said, “After obtaining two patent certificates, out company's research team was able to remove the byproduct of sodium sulfite and produce only sodium sulfide that is free of sodium sulfite.”
4155/v
